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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: coach · bear · straw · wave · key · land · leaves · swing

  1. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  2. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  3. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  4. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. David sat on the ________________.
  13. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. When are we going to ________________?
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. swing — in golf
  2. land — ground
  3. swing — music
  4. straw — dry grass
  5. key — for a lock
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. key — in music
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. swing — to play on
  13. land — a country
  14. key — the most important part
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. straw — a straw man
  19. bear — the animal
  20. bear — the animal
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. land — to come down
  24. bear — to put up with

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com